Washing-machine



UNITED STATES ATENT FFE- L. A. DOLE, OF SALEM, OHIO.

WASHING-MACHINE.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, L. A. DOLE, of Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful `Improvement in Vashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings formino a art of this s ecification in C 7 D 7 so a i which- Figure l, is a vertical longitudinal section.

of a washing machine constructed with my improvements. F ig. 2, is a vertical transverse section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a plan or top view of the same Similar letters of reference, in each -of-the several figures indicate corresponding parts.

The nature of my invention consists, lst in the arrangement of two winged rollers with a flexible adjustable apron clothes bed in the particular manner hereinafter specied; 2nd, in the use of a flexible apron clothes bed when made adjustable, as described; 3rd, in the .use of an adjustable, swinging, self closing and self opening, rubber or leather packed, valve or partition, in combination with the adjustable flexible apron bed, in the particular manner hereinafter specified.

By the first feature of my invention, a small or large quantity of clothes can be washed at a time in a very perfect manner and with very little wear and tear, and when Washed they can, without being lifted above the top of the tub in a manner to drip water upon the floor and without any adjustment of the wringer, be introduced into the sack of the wringer to be wrung dry. By the second feature a soft yielding clothes bed is provided, vfacilities for washing large or small quantities of clothes afforded and convenience for washing quilts and other heavy articles provided, and by the third feature whenever it is desired to remove a portion of the water from the washing chamber of the tub and thus have strong' suds in the washing chamber, with a small expendi ture of soap, it can be done by simply inclining the machine from its rear end and then returning it to a horizontal position.

To enable others, skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A, represents the washing tub; B, an inclined hinged valve or partition near the center of the length of the tub, it dividing the tub into two chambers a, l). This valve,

is packed at its lower and side edges with rubber, as shown at c, so that it shall close water tight. The pivot or axis d, of the valve is arranged so as to be withdrawn in a manner to allow the valve to fall to a hori- Zontal position on the bottom of the tub, as shown in red.

O, is aiiexible apron having one of its ends passed loosely over the pivot or axis of the valvb and attached to the rear side of the valve. The other end of this apron attaches to a horizontal shaft D at the front end of the tub, so that the apron shall wind in a scroll manner-upon said shaft and thus be shortened or lengthened and consequently made to lie farther from or nearer to the washing rollers. l

E, E, are two winged rollers placed horizontally side by side each other. The roller E, is unyielding while E', yields toward the rear end of the tub by means of a pivoted spring frame F.

G, is a wringing device of ordinary construction excepting that the upper edge of the opening of the sack is stiened and kept distended in a manner to keep the sack always open for the reception of clothes to be wrung dry by means of a rubber strip e, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings.. The con struction of this wringing device I do not claim in this application, as I am aware that it is a distinctive feature from a washing machine and the subject of another application. Still I think its arrangement relatively to the flexible clothes bed and washing rollers entitle it to consideration in connection with said parts, as it is essential to have the wringer so arranged that no delay or inconvenience will be experienced in getting the clothes ready for hanging upon the line.

Operation: The fiexible apron or clothes bed is adjusted to suit the character of clothes to be washed, by turning the shaft D. If large stout articles are to be washed, it is moved from the rollers E, E', but if light small articles it is moved toward the rollers. This being done and the tub furnished with a suitable quantity of water, the clothes are passed under or down between the rollers and the crank rotated continuously or oscillated. The wings of the rollers operate upon the clothes with a crimping action and thus produce a rubbing friction in a manner to effect the removalof the dirt without wearing out or injuring the clothes.

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It sometimes is necessary to oscillate the rollers so as to operate upon one portion of the clothes to a greater extent than upon others. In this case the clothes Will not revolve entirely around the rollers as is the case when the rollers rotate. The clothes being Washed and delivered onto the apron just at the mouth or opening ofthe Wringer sack7 they are shoved by hand into the sack, the sack being open to receive them, and are Wrung by turning the handle of the Wringer in the usual manner.

If it is desired to Wash quilts and very heavy articles, the pivot or axis of the valve B, is Withdrawn and the valve allowed to fall to the position shown in red in Fig. 1. Thus lowering the valve lengthens the sack by unwinding it off the shaft and causes it to lie upon the bottom of the tub in a manner to provide room beloW the rollers for the article being Washed.

If it is desired to have strong suds With a small expenditure of soap, the tub is inclined from its front end. This causes the lovver` end of the valve to rise by reason of the.` Weight of the Water, and allovv a portion of the Water to run into the Wringer chamber a.

What I clairnas my invention and desire A to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The arrangement of tWo Winged rollers with a flexible adjustable apron clothes bed, in the particular manner herein specified for the purpose set forth.

2. The use of a flexible apron clothes bed when made adjustable, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The use of an adjustable swinging self opening and self closing, rubber or leather packed valve or partition, in combination With the adjustable flexible apron bed substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The above specification of my improved clothes Washer signed by me this 22nd. day of December 1858.

L. A. DOLE.

Witnesses:

Gr. Yoann Afr LEE, I-I. H. YOUNG. 

